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Wiggins looking at another town water loan

Research on flood levee needed

ByDAN BARKER Times News Editor

Posted:
03/15/2013 09:30:13 AM MDT

Rows of reverse osmosis filters do the work of cleaning the well water that will go to town of Wiggins residents once the pipeline part of the project is finished. The project hit a snag this week when trustees said the town might have to take out another loan to finish it.
(Dan Barker/Fort Morgan Times)

Before the Wiggins water project can be finished, the town may have to take out another loan.

Of the grant and loan that the town received from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, only $700,000 is left, and that is set aside to buy water shares for the project, said Interim Town Administrator Jon Richardson.

However, it will cost an additional $115,111 to finish the pipeline that would bring the water to Wiggins from its well northwest of the town. That is the bid from the pipeline contractor to put the pipeline through the town flood levee, which would finish that part of the project.

The board approved a contract for that amount contingent on whether the town receives more funding and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approval to put the pipeline through the levee as designed.

Currently, the USDA has said that it would not approve the levee portion of the pipeline project, since the town does not have the money for it, Richardson said.

He has heard that the corps has no problem with the pipeline design, but the town has not yet received official notice of approval, he said.

It could take 30 to 45 days after a request for another loan to get funding for this part of the project, said Trustee Karol Kopetzky.

A big task for the board is deciding how much of a loan to ask for.

Richardson said he did not believe that the town could receive more than another $500,000.

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He said there are other things to consider, because the town has spent more than allotted for attorneys' fees and the town still has to buy more water shares.

Even if the pipeline is finished, the town might not be allowed to pump water, since it does not have enough new water to replace the current wells. Under the original loan agreement with the USDA, the town is supposed to have 250 acre feet of new water, but it only has 110, Richardson said.

The USDA has also indicated it would not fund a blending plan to combine the new water with the old water, he said.

With a conservation plan, the town might be able to meet its needs with only 230 acre feet of water, Richardson said.

That might mean water restrictions in Wiggins.

"We've got to get water to (residents)," Trustee Bruce Miller said.

The trustees indicated they would consider how much more to borrow at next week's meeting.

The board discussed buying more water rights during an executive session, and instructions were given to negotiators.

Levee

Richardson said he received plans on how the bridge on Interstate 76 at Wiggins was built, but the Colorado Department of Transportation does not have any other plans for the highway available.

That is important, because the Federal Emergency Management Agency will not certify the town flood levee without proof that I-76 could help block any flood.

A CDOT representative suggested hiring a geotechnical engineer to take samples and test for soil compaction of the highway, Richardson said.

The town was told that Louisiana had roads that acted as levees and failed during Hurricane Katrina, which is why it is important to make sure roads that were expected to block floods really well, said Trustee Jim Musgrave.

FEMA representatives said the agency is "clamping down" on those kinds of things since Katrina, Richardson said.

If the town does not do something, it would be as if there was no flood control, as far as FEMA is concerned, Musgrave said.

That means the town would officially be in a flood plain, Kopetzky said.

That might mean higher flood insurance rates for residents.

The board asked Richardson to get a quote for having geotech work done.

Other

The board also:

Heard that an application was sent in to Great Outdoors Colorado for a grant to make improvements at the town park and ball fields.

Heard that it would probably be a good idea to put some asphalt at an intersection of High Street to keep it in repair and it would be good to compress other areas of asphalt.

Heard that the town is still waiting on bids from waste disposal companies to cover the annual town clean-up day.

Approved shredding and disposing of old documents that are no longer needed.

Approved looking into finding a way to let residents pay their utility bills with credit cards.

Approved updating the board of adjustment and planning and zoning board member list, which is out of date. Someone must be found to replace Miller on the board of planning.

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